Open Nationals Stadium liturgy thread

1) I want to repeat what I said above – everything I saw and heard indicated to me that the participants in the Mass at Nationals Stadium had a very prayerful experience, were nourished by the Holy Father’s homily, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and are truly renewed in their faith. I found myself wishing I had been there!

2) The music for this liturgy is being discussed all over the place – NLM, FR Z and other places. I am not equipped to get into the technicalities, so I’ll just say this.

The core problem with this liturgy was that it had such a heavy performance vibe to it. Commenters have called it a “review” and I think that’s apt. I don’t want to make the multiculturalism the center of any critique myself. I don’t think that’s the point. The point is that, for example, after the Holy Father intoned the Doxology at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, what happened next? A solemnly chanted “Amen” fitting in with what he had just done?

No – we get freakin’ trumpets – the same trumpets that preceded all three of the Mass parts used from the Mass of Creation.

There was a bombastic, almost frenzied sensibility, as various musical styles were pulled in, Cantor A was replaced by Cantor B and every Mass part had to be introduced by overwhelming musical stylings of someone.

I am not sure how, exactly, one could pull of a Mass in a stadium with 50,000 or so people without making it big in this sense. I don’t know if there is a bigness possible that would pull everyone present into the ritual while at the same time respecting the fact that this is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, not Talent Night At St. Hippodrome’s. Someone can, perhaps enlighten me on that score.

And two final nits to pick. If I were to do anything to shift gears in liturgies like this, I would a) dispense with cantors, completely. People have books. They can figure it out. And b) I would have the deacon chant the Gospel. There is an incredible power and focus that resonates when the Gospel is chanted.

Here’s the thing. Cardinal Ratzinger’s writing on liturgy has been characterized by a concern about retrieving the vertical dimension of liturgy – for it is only when the vertical element of liturgy is clear that we can then comprehend the true nature of the horizontal dimension – that when we all grasp our relation to God, we better grasp our relations to each other, made all the more powerful because we know that those ties that bind us come from God. In Christ, we are one Body.

But this liturgy was very much oriented to the horizontal, from Archbishop Wuerl’s welcome, which celebrated the diversity of the cultures present, to the endless performances of different styles with overwhelming and overdramatic instrumentation.

I am at the point where I want to say:

Right. I’m an American Catholic, which means I’m diverse, free, generous and enthusiastic. I GET IT! Can we move on now?

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Music choices at Mass are not suppossed to be about personal taste. They are important to us because the are (or should be) an integral part of what the Mass is. The pope’s homily was wonderful indeed, but remember that the homily is not a part of the Mass that is even required. It can be dropped if necessary. The music, however, is important in that it should be a *PRAYER* of the faithful going up to God, not a show to entretain us and assure us of our awesomeness and multiculturalism.

I say this as a Hispanic Catholic.

And, by the way, I’m frankly rather tired of finding that everywhere in the US, the only music in Spanish used during Mass sounds like it belongs in a salsa club. I love salsa music, believe me, but I find the whole thing rather patronizing. How nice it would be to hear a sublime hymn sung in Spanish once in a while. Hispanic Catholicism is ancient, vibrant, and has given the Church some of its greatest treasures both in terms of saints and of artistic and intellectual contributions. I wish that was acknowledged and taken advantage of more often.

So yeah, the liturgy was quite disappointing for me, though of course I was still excited that so many go to celebrate Mass with Pope Benedict and hear his words. At least now the pope has experienced first hand what so many of us have to endure in terms of liturgy so often. I sincerely think that if we were not so concerned with having good *performances* at Mass, but to have music that is *prayer* a lot of this would be resolved.

On the positive side, one thing I took advantage of this liturgy to do was to email my pastor about incorporating the altar arrangement used during the papal Mass (you know, the line of evenly spaced candles with a crucifix in the middle facing the celebrant) into the liturgy of our parish. Under other circumstances it would perhaps have been harder to approach the pastor about this (it might have seemed like I was pushing an agenda… which would be true!), but using the papal Mass as an excuse I just emailed him and said the arrangement was very nice and that I thought it was a very simply thing to do that would contribute to the quality of the parish’s liturgy. That was all, no need to try to lecture him about liturgy or speak of any reform of the reform. I don’t know if it will have any results, but I think other’s should try out this same approach in their own parishes and then see what happens.

“Preening and overweening” is EXACTLY what it was. This obsession with “inculturation” in a Universal Church is misguided. Hey, while we’re at, why don’t we get some Irish step dancers to do a little jig in honor of John Carroll. Or maybe a Pole could whip out his accordion and recall JP2 with a nice polka. This nonsense has to end, and bringing the subject up is clearly NOT carping. If the Holy Father hadn’t cared deeply about the forms of liturgy and liturgical music, he wouldn’t have written about it so extensively and made it a focus of his papacy.

Amy .. .thanks for your wisdom on the post above. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Mass. (I wasn’t praying though. Which is what I’ve often done when I watch the Pope. But not always. Nothing intrinsic to the celebration: I was hungry and chomping down!).

I found my irish rising at Fr. Neuhaus’ remarks, and I let loose a bit on my blog.

My accusation is certainly not that those who are critical of the music are Monday morning quarterbacks. I have to work HARD to stop exactly what you say … to stop those critical tapes playing. I’ve written on that often.

The thing is, I found the musical selection to be surprising as well. It’s not what one expects from Benedict. It’s definitely what one expects of large “AmChurch” gatherings.
As to those selections, and to the multicultural aspects — I need to think through these thoughts — but the basic one is this: in the comparison that one makes (you do, the NLM folks do, I have, others have) with the East and the use of chant, I find myself wondering — aren’t Eastern rites very culture bound? Go to Eastern parishes: you’ll see a mix of immigrant/ethnics (of that rite, rarely, I think, of other rites. If there is a Maronite congregation, you won’t find any “ethnically” Melkites or Ruthenians there. Correct me if I’m wrong) plus a mix of mainly Anglo “converts” (either Romans or Orthodox or others). Is there anywhere a Spanish speaking Eastern congregation in the US (There are Eastern rites in Latin America … Melkites in Brazil and so on)? It’s often said that the modern Roman Rite has a cross-cultural portability and that’s one of its strengths. This is not to say that chant and the European polyphonic tradition cannot be enjoyed by other cultures. Chant at least is more intrinsic to the celebration of the Mass than is polyphony, and doesn’t have to be in Latin. I really don’t know what the answer is, looking at the vast horizon of global Christianity. In the US, a more “Eastern” looking, chant oriented Roman Rite ? Sure.

[There’s other things too: about how multiculturalism is really an American/Western phenomenon. In India, one just doesn’t approach the cultural diversity — and boy it is diverse — in this way. I don’t know the “correct” answer .. but I don’t mind multiculturalism being celebrated the way it is in the American polylingual Masses, with different folks saying prayers in different languages. It’s a reminder both of the catholicity of the Church as well as the microcosm of the world that is the US. ]

My beef about the reactions I heard on EWTN is this: is this the only thing that one reacts to? It seems to be that for a certain segment, this is all that matters?

It’s not to say that these concerns might not be legit. It’s to say … COME ON FOLKS. THE FRICKIN’ POPE IS HERE. Can we not celebrate that without coming across as sourpusses?

But we *ARE* very excited about the pope being here. I’m absolutely delighted! I’ve been smiling constantly during recent days and trying to take in as much of what he is saying as possible. And it has been great!

Still, that does not imply that one cannot express oneself about things one wishes would have gone differently. Many people are watching, and I just think a more restrained and focused liturgy could have served as a great teaching opportunity — and opportunity that, for the moment, was sadly lost.

On the other hand, yesterday’s vespers service with the bishops was absolutely beautiful, prayerful, and moving. We’ll see what the days ahead bring.

Amy, thanks for your measured and spot-on comments. Miguel, I think you’re pretty much right on as well. Agreed on the untapped wealth of Hispanic music… Are you familiar with the polyphonic music of Manuel de Sumaya and Ignacio Jerusalem? Great stuff, that.

To folks like Gashwin and Jen from the earlier posting, you’re right that comments about liturgical music can sound petty and narrowly-focused sometimes. Let me apologize for my own remarks earlier if I sounded uncharitable to the hard work of those involved.

But as others have said here, the issue of poor music in the liturgy goes far beyond “personal taste,” or “cultural relevance,” and is in fact an essential part of what “The Holy Father and his message to us” are all about. You can’t just separate out the liturgy and the music from the teachings of the church and say, well, hey, let’s just focus on the pope and forget the music/liturgy stuff. Many of us are convinced that a great deal of the current crisis of fidelity among Catholics, especially in America — the loss of hope and faith in Christ, and in the church, is intricately interwoven with the current state of the liturgy and of the music (Lex orandi, lex credendi).

You suggest that we focus on “celebrating that the pope is here” — I agree and would add that it’s a great shame that apparently none of the powers-that-be involved in planning this liturgy paid any attention to, or read the slightest bit of, what Benedict himself has written (extensively) about the Roman Liturgy — about what it really means, and about how music plays such an integral role in communicating the Truth at its heart. Their disregard for his message was evident from the musical hodgepodge we just saw and perhaps betrays a fundamental disrespect and discourtesy to the man and to the office.

They are the ones, I would argue, who are ultimately ignoring the fact that “THE POPE IS HERE” — and the fact that in respect for that our usual performance-based liturgies might just need to be reconsidered accordingly.

Whoever wrote Archbishop Wuerl’s welcome for the Papal Mass at Nationals Stadium should resume his career as a diversity consultant.

Ditto for the liturgist. The “multicultural” music (Raymond Arroyo’s description) for the offertory and the beginning of the Eucharistic prayer simply has no place* in the Mass. We’ve heard so much about “active participation” by the laity. Explain to me how anyone in attendance can hum these … pop stylings, much less sing them. (Is that a bass guitar and saxophone I hear as Communion is distributed?) Appalling.

“Perhaps those responsible for this are unfamiliar with Pope Benedict’s many writings on the liturgy,” Fr. Neuhaus said. One can hope New York is more faithful to the Spirit of that liturgy.

We should be showing the Holy Father respect and showing we get the message. We need to be more Catholic and promote a Catholic identity. His choices in vestments and bringing back examples of how things were done as part of a continual traditional has been a model for us to follow.

I thought the Responsorial was a travesty. It sounded almost Satanic. A Mass setting should be unified and it should be sacred. Bishop Wuerl’s choice for preparing this has shown our Archdiocese to be a shining example of how off the reservation things are in the American Church. It was also a contrast from the wonderful Vespers service at the Basilica. I have sang polyphony in the crypt and it made my heart soar.

I am waiting to get the reports from mt friends that attended. Our Deacon built the altar and I was able to stand in front of it and gave on the altar stone used by Archbishop Carroll when he was a simple priest presiding at Mass in his home parish of Forest Glen Maryland.

On the other hand my friends know me to be a paleo-Catholic and love it when Monsignor indulges me with a Latin blessing.

I don’t think it’s the multiculturalism, but the manufactured multiculturalism that irks some. I don’t think many Latin American churches use the salsa-type music Miguel talked about as. But once your primary motivation is not worship but to multiculturalize, then you have these sorts of things happening.

And I don’t know if such manufacturing makes anyone really feel better.

Gashwin your choice of verbage is lacking “… COME ON FOLKS. THE FRICKIN’ POPE IS HERE”

The music resembled the reverence of a super bowl half-time show. Yes, I agree this is what you get with the typical AmChurch that resembles more it’s own personal identidy than that of the Roman Catholic Church.

The papal master of ceremonies, the much heralded Msgr. Guido Marini, personally went over every aspect of the Liturgies which the Pope celebrated and each of the speeches and questions which the Pope will have been asked throughout this trip have been either written or at least vetted by the Vatican planners of the event.
If we don’t like what we see it is the one who is coordinating from the Vatican and not the American side of things where this approval comes from.

When I was a cantor in a “regular” Roman rite parish, we would have all the cantors and choirs joing together to form a big choir for the Triduum. And so, naturally, we get a bit of folk, a bit of Glory & Praise, a bit of chant. And for some reason the choir director would insist that two or three cantors serve in that role at each of the three liturgies.

I could never see the point, and would usually bow out (I’d end up leading Lauds in the mornings anyway); but it seems that our good ole American sense of equity was the driving force. Everyone needed to be included. I assume a similar mindset was at work for the Holy Father’s Mass here in D.C.

(I was here for Pope John Paul II’s first visit in 1979, and find myself here today, but I wouldn’t go to the big Mass then, nor would I go today. I just can’t see the point of these mega-Masses; there’s no way they can be prayerful, reverent celebrations. Better that these large gatherings be in the context of Evening Prayer, maybe with Benediction, and then a homily. But no one’s asking me ;)

Amy, if you’ll indulge me. My objection wasn’t to the substance of the criticisms. It was to the manner they were made, most particularly, the way it came across to me on EWTN.

It’s not that these issues are trivial. So, yes, it’s understandable that there is consternation.

I repeat what I said earlier (on my blog) that the EWTN commentators’ interruption of the Mass was obnoxious. For all the talk about respecting the liturgy, that just wasn’t the place for commentary, and certainly not the carping way it came across. I chose to watch EWTN because I assumed they would just let the Mass be (I was tuned earlier to Fox, which had chit-chat and commercials) …

And the Holy Father had barely stepped away from the stage that the whole thing started up again.

Contrast that to the ebullience of Joan Lewis. That was what I felt, that is what I suspect most people actually present experienced.

What I don’t get about those who say that this liturgy was disrespectful of the Pope is: it’s not like he didn’t know what was coming! I mean the Missal was put up on the Vatican website last week. The Mass was sure to have been vetted by Abp Marini. If it was so bad, the Holy Father could have asked it to be changed. Why didn’t he? Diplomatic reasons? He didn’t want to ruffle feathers? ) He would have known that this Mass would carry the stamp of Papal approval?

And as we’ve seen with Pope John Paul II’s failure to object to every aberrant jot and tittle, it will be taken as a consent to do more of these sorts of things locally. “Didn’t JPII have liturgical dancers during World Youth Day in Toronto? Then why can’t we have them here at St. Euphemia of the Five Wounds?”

I actually heard Cardinal Arinze, in person, defend liturgical dance. (To be fair, he meant inculturated dance, not girls with streamers in the aisle.)

I think that part of the problem might be purism vs. realism.

Because, there is a strain of purism here. And I can be as purist and perfectionist as anyone.

But, perhaps those In Charge at the Vatican are realists more than purists. (To wit, this papal MC seems to have signed off on all of this.)

At the Q and A with Cardinal Arinze, there were a lot of people in the crowd who were very much of the purist bent. There were three things he said that have stuck with me for years:

1) We are a people at prayer, not an army on the march. (In response to someone who wanted everyone at all times to be doing exactly the same thing at mass.)

2) Some people want the liturgy frozen in 1962, and want to just take it out and not defrost it, and then put it back in. Sort of like nibbling on the same frozen chicken forever.

3) Americans are the most stringent about these things. “I get mail and it seems like they want me to come personally – or send an arrest squad of three cardinals – and deal with their pastor. We don’t get mail like this from any other part of the world.”

Today’s conversation just brought all that to mind.

Now, let me say a few things in my defense: I could live the rest of my life without seeing another liturgical dancer. I love polyphony (and don’t remember hearing that at today’s liturgy, feeling a tad (sigh) disenfranchised.) I would much rather not hear most of what is in the “Gather” mode ever again.

But, I also have never, ever been in a parish that could pull off a Gregorian mass with full, conscious and active participation. And I don’t think that they could have done that today in a baseball stadium.

And lastly, I wonder if a video tape of Paul VI’s mass at Yankee stadium is around. I remember watching it at the time, but I was in 4th grade, not a lit nik like now! What was that experience like and how does it compare?

The old joke is given a choice between being trapped by terrorist or liturgist, those in the know would choose the terrorist. Liturgist have no mercy.

A retired Pastor once told me that he said Mass at Lourdes. At night candlelight processions would start from the surrounding hills from the different national residencies. They would each be singing hymns from their respective countries. But as the individual linesconverged the joined together and all sang Credo III in Latin. As the Holy Father said, E Pluribus Unum. Out of many one. This is what we who complain want to see.

To form a Catholic identity we need to reflect it in the liturgy. Songs and hymns written by protestants in a liturgy more protestant than Catholic in character leads us into a secular and relativist mainstream. Archbishop Hughes was adamant to start Catholic schools to prevent Catholic children from being taught in protestant schools in New York. Catholics should go to Catholic schools and learn theirfaith and how to put it into practice as part of their upbringing.

My Catholic identity was jarred when I went to Mass and found no Latin and protestant hymns. Things have just gotten worse over the decades. American Catholics went mainstream and Catholic neighborhoods went into decay and parishes are still being closed.

Those of us that survived the post Vatican II revisers are joined with the young who recognize the loss. God bless the Holy Father and may his mission kindle the hearts of the American Catholics who are watching. I pray this is the future of the Church in America. I know it is oppose by the Catholic Church OF America.

Note that I am a pretty traditional Catholic, one who can’t stand the Haugen-Haus liturgies.

That being said, I did not perceive almost any of the criticisms that people are giving this Mass. I did think that they overdid the multiculturalism theme, but frankly, that is just how people in this area are. But I found many aspects of the Mass to be very conducive to proper worship. For example, the Mass programs were EXCELLENT. They were a great teaching tool that explained the purpose of the liturgy, quoting Vatican documents, throughout the program. Furthermore, everyone singing “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” right before Mass started was spine-tingling. Also, just about everyone in the crowd was reverent and attentive. I could list many other things.

Could I have thought of some criticisms? Sure, if I thought about it. But frankly, I was at a Papal Mass – I had better things to do than to play liturgical cop!

Another point: after I got back from the Mass, I checked out the EWTN video. Frankly, I was shocked by Fr. Neuhaus’ comments. It was like he was an ice-skating judge, giving grades to everyone. I would have no problem if he wrote something about this Mass in an article in a few months (after having time to reflect on it), but making those harsh criticisms, to me, seemed to debase not the singing, etc., but the Mass itself.

A Papal Mass is not a Presidential debate in which we have every commentator on TV give their opinion of each participants’ strengths and weaknesses. I would think that EWTN would know that.

Re: “frickin'” Mea culpa! I meant to actually write “freakin'” (Amy used it in her post above! Ok, about trumpets … not the Vicar of Christ.) I’m not sure if that’s better … but it reminded me of this silly line from a Family Guy episode …

I was watching EWTN waiting for the 5pm coverage to start and a priest was speaking about Pope Benedict and the priest quoted or summarized something the Pope had said that caught my attention: It is not the people’s church but Christ’s church.

It made me wonder: All the different music and variance during the Mass – was that for the people or was that for God? Who were they thinking of when they made their choices?

Personally I found it hard to focus on God when the Mass seemed all over the place. I hope those present did not have such a difficulty, but I think the responses to the Mass, and in particular the music, demonstrate all too clearly the sharp dichotomy in American Catholics when it comes to liturgy.

I certainly didn’t need Richard John Neuhaus to tell me that the liturgy in Washington was a mess. I knew it before he opened his mouth.
The Sacred Liturgy should not be about “enjoying it”.
Thirdly as to the applause, as Cardinal Ratzinger said, “Whenever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of the liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment.” (Spirit of the Liturgy, p. 198).
That’s what we witnessed today…enternainment!

Pope Benedict has committed a substantial amount of his priesthood, episcopate, and papacy to the importance of liturgical fidelity. His apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis is in large part a meditation on this theme. Pointing out that what was on display in Washington today courtesy of Archbishop Wuerl moved in the opposite direction of that commitment is appropriate.

I wasn’t so shocked by Fr. Neuhaus b/c he expressed what I was thinking.

Obviously, the up-close experience on TV is far different from being in no-mans’-land in the stands–whether a Mass or sporting event. We TV viewers saw a lot up close that attendees might have been only vaguely aware of, and indeed, as reported here, the attendees were swept up in the whole atmosphere of the pope’s presence, his homily, etc. So, the music was just one part of it for them.

I started to wonder, if folks were taken aback by Fr. Neuhaus’ statements, I wonder what Mother Angelica would have said and how folks would feel about that.

In the biography of her( by Ray Arroyo of course) is a story of her going bonkers on air about the Way of the Cross (I think that was the service) that the USCCB put on for JP2’s visit. She let them have it.

I wasn’t feeling well today and stayed home from work. I really needed to stay in bed, so I set up my TV and DVR to record the Mass and returned to bed and fell asleep. But I went to sleep with the TV still on. Suddenly a terrible noise woke me up. I looked at my TV. It was Communion time at the Papal Mass and what sounded like a gospel piece was just ending and then people started to applaud! During Communion!!!!!! So much for people being well behaved and reverent!!!

That got me out of my sick bed and onto the internet to see if I could find the listing of music proposed for the Mass at Yankee Stadium. If it was going to be like this, I’m not going. Fortunately, it looks like a very different plan. So, I guess it will be safe to go.

As it is, I’m looking to find the “pre-game” show (oh, ‘scuse me, that’s “pre-Mass” show) on Sunday to be an exercise in Penance. I’ll be offering it up!

Readers may appreciate exactly what the official songbook of the Roman Rite prescribes for the Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit celebrated yesterday by the Holy Father. (Audio examples and polyphonic alternatives included.)

I was at the Mass. The music was awful. The concession stands were open and people were eating pizza right before receiving communion. All some did was take pictures during Mass. Others talked. It was anything but a Mass.

I think they should offer a Liturgy of the Word, rather than the Mass. The Pope could offer a homily. But the idea of subjecting the Eucharist to this atmosphere of irreverence and, frankly, football antics, is beyond the pale.

My son attended the Mass with a large group of friends and classmates from his orthodox Catholic school. He reported a general atmosphere of reverence and devotion, though none of the boys cared for the music.

I took my other kids over to the Embassy area on Wednesday to catch a glimpse of the Pope after he left the White House — and we got a great view of him waving from the Popemobile. Even if we travel to Rome to see the Pope there, it was a wonderful experience to see him here in our backyard, and the boys will never forget it.

There were so many things that could have gone wrong with this visit — the weather, security issues, disruptive hecklers. I watched the Mass on TV and was dismayed by the forced multi-culturalism and poor music choices, but can’t help thinking that Satan must be so pleased to see all of the sniping and complaining among folks (myself included) who consider themselves good Catholics.

I attended the Papal Mass yesterday. After driving from North Carolina for 7 hours the day before, and getting up at 4:30, squeezing into the crowded (but joyful) Metro, walking to and into the stadium with so many like minded Roman Catholics, and finally sitting, standing, and kneeling with my Roman Catholic brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit so engulfed me that I almost felt carried away to heaven during the Mass….music, liturgy, homily, communion and all. Fortunately, I didn’t have to listen to the online criticism of the music, so I was able to enjoy it without someone else’s opinion distracting me. Personally for me, most of the music was beautiful…with all the diversity. I particularly enjoyed the music from the other countries before Mass. Perhaps the music at the communion could have been a bit more reverent. All I can say is that, looking around me everyone (except perhaps an older gentleman who continued to take pictures through the whole service, including the homily) was having the same experience I was. Perhaps I set my own stage for the positive experience by going to confession before Mass. Grace helps! Speaking of confession, for the sake of full disclosure I am 62 years old, a cradle Catholic, taught through high school by nuns, memorized the latin as an alter boy. I loved the vernaculer when it came, and some of the new music. But I have missed the Gregorian Chant. And I find myself saying the Our Father and Hail Mary in Latin…..sometimes. Thus, I’m not ready to go back to it 100%…just as an alternative. So I realy appreciate the diversity of the music….if well done, like it was at the Papal Mass…a little Latin, a little contemporary, and little multicultural. Hey, that’s the Catholic Church, and that’s the World. It’s my world and welcome to it.

Pope Benedict has committed a substantial amount of his priesthood, episcopate, and papacy to the importance of liturgical fidelity. His apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis is in large part a meditation on this theme. Pointing out that what was on display in Washington today courtesy of Archbishop Wuerl moved in the opposite direction of that commitment is appropriate.

I am fully on board with Pope Benedict’s vision of the Liturgy. I have read his works for years and have always thought he has a proper understanding of the Liturgy. I also don’t have a problem with necessarily critiquing parts of this particular Mass (although I question if it is really healthy the extreme negativity of so many towards a Mass that this traditional Catholic attended and thought was overall reverent and conducive to worship). But I do have a problem with the timing. He didn’t even let Pope Benedict leave the stadium before his harsh judgments starting pouring out. Is that really necessary? Frankly, I came home from the Mass uplifted and praising the Lord for the Pope, and then I saw all the commentary from Fr. Neuhaus and St. Blog’s, and it completely wiped away that peace.

Obviously, the up-close experience on TV is far different from being in no-mans’-land in the stands–whether a Mass or sporting event. We TV viewers saw a lot up close that attendees might have been only vaguely aware of, and indeed, as reported here, the attendees were swept up in the whole atmosphere of the pope’s presence, his homily, etc. So, the music was just one part of it for them.

Actually, with the Jumbotron at the stadium we were able to get an up-close view of the Mass as well as TV viewers. We just didn’t have to endure the cynical TV commentators.

And yes, the music was just one part of it for us – as it should be. Was all the music appropriate? Of course not. But Mass is not just about the music, and and it’s not healthy to simply focus on the bad music to the extreme, against the overall reverence of the Mass and the crowd there.

It was Communion time at the Papal Mass and what sounded like a gospel piece was just ending and then people started to applaud! During Communion!!!!!! So much for people being well behaved and reverent!!!

There were almost 50,000 people there. If you really except every one of them to understand the inappropriateness of applauding at that time, you are living on a different world than I am. Heck, even the Pope recognized Mr. Domingo after his song,which was post-communion as well.

Overall, the crowed was VERY reverent. Were there a smattering of people who applauded when they shouldn’t have? Sure. But most applause was only when appropriate and directed to the Holy Father (who usually acknowledged and encouraged the applause) – i.e. when he first entered for his pope-mobile ride, greeting him at the beginning of Mass, and when he left at the end. It was a sign of respect and gratitude to the successor of Peter.

I was at the Mass. The music was awful. The concession stands were open and people were eating pizza right before receiving communion.

I’d be interested to know what section you were in, because ALL the concession stands were closed during the entire Mass on my entire level – you couldn’t even get water (which my young kids really needed due to the blazing sun). I’d be surprised if that policy wasn’t Stadium-wide.

I was surprised and disappointed of the Father Richard of EWTN covering the Papal visit. Commenting about the sexual abuse in the Church, he suggested the possibility some were saint probably homosexual. This is probably offensive to many Catholics; that are very devote to saints. This is more damaging than the music.

I’ve been away from my computer, thankfully, for a while.
I knew there would be people wildly critical of the mass in Nationals Stadium. For pete’s sake – even the commentators on TV couldn’t refrain from trashing it right during the middle of the mass! I love how they listened quietly during the entire Latino Offertory song and then started trashing it while the Pope began the prayers at the altar!!!!!

There were several things I would rather that they had not done during that mass. But, it was thoroughly American and that’s why I LOVED it.

And, while I always really love watching Mass from Rome and hearing the Pope pray the words of the Mass in Latin, I really really loved hearing him pray the words in my native tongue, English.

Hey, I know how they could have made the Mass less preeningly multicultural … they could have only let white Europeans into the stadium!! Yea, that’s the ticket!!!!

My husband and I were lucky enough to have our names drawn for tickets. We woke up at 4am so we could met up with others at our church to take a bus down to the stadium.

It was awesome! We couldn’t see much of what was going on, since we weren’t in view of the Jumbatron (I didn’t know what that was, or that it existed until someone told me afterwards), and the pillars blocked a fair bit of the alter, but that was fine. I could see the pope wave at us, and I was mostly too excited to take pictures, though the zoom lens on my camera did help me see a bit better when I had it on. I got distracted during the Liturgy of the Eucharist because of seeing a stretcher rolled out to pick up a lady who was unwell out on the field. That was *my* fault, though, not the liturgy.

I would have loved to have been on the field and able to see the Pope more closely, but honestly I was very happy to have a seat in the back that was also in the *shade*.

The loudspeakers weren’t the greatest, and combined with the echo and our Pope’s accent made it pretty difficult to follow what he said, and my husband couldn’t follow it at all; we figured out enough that it was terrific as ever, and found a copy to read once we arrived home.

My husband went to visit the bathroom during the procession of the gifts, and noted approvingly that the concession stands were closed. We didn’t see anyone eating within an hour of communion. We were both happy that there was no hand-grabbing by strangers while we *sung* the Our Father.

The multiculturalism was a bit jarring – particularly that the first reading was only in Spanish. My Spanish isn’t that good, and while I see how that might be meant to make up for the rest of it being in English, I would have been happier if they’d repeated the readings in both languages than leaving English out. Everyone was seem joyful and reverent. I would have liked it if I could have known what the Prayers of the Faithful were, other than the first one.

I really liked the missal they gave out – I’m very book-oriented, and tried to follow along with where they were in the missal, so I didn’t look up as much as I might have otherwise. I liked how it had regular extracts from the GIRM, which were clear and helpful.

I liked that we had the words to sing along with many of the songs, and I tried to sing along, since the missal said we were supposed to. I thought it was delightful that they included Holy God, We Praise Thy Name and I enjoyed singing the translation of Veni, Creator Spiritus. Much of the music was new to me, but I thought a lot of the words of the songs seemed reverent, so that didn’t bother me. I’m just happy I wasn’t in the choir and restricted to no bathroom breaks for 5+ hours. :( Really, it was so exciting being there, that I mostly didn’t notice the music being overly loud – it matched with the excitement teeming from the crowd, really. :) The music and instruments were more difficult to hear in the crowd, too. (That wasn’t too bad, as it was good to see people as excited about seeing the pope as others (or the same folks) are excited at a football or baseball game. I recall the saying – look where people cheer without shame – that’s where their hearts and religion really are.)

I heard different cantors singing – were they actually visible somewhere leading the music rather than hidden back with the choir? I can’t say I noticed them if they were trying to lead the music from somewhere – though I did notice a girl who was gesturing with the music once who I think was signing the music and the mass? I’m not familiar enough with sign language to be sure.

Aside from lackings in the sounds system that did make it difficult to hear sometimes(I missed almost all of the pre-mass music which was much fainter than the crowd noise), the main problem was the lack of orderliness in the shuttle system to take people to the parking lots and buses back in RFK stadium. Conflicting orders and a rather rude police lieutenant who dissipated a lot of the joy from the mass by telling the crowd who’d been patiently trying to follow directions, no, you can’t load onto the shuttle buses here, I don’t care if people are on already, buses are only allowed to load at that corner. No people skills there. Mind, some of the officers did allow the collapsing and heat exhausted elderly and pregnant women with little children to get on a bus, but only when the lieutenant was far enough away that he didn’t see. Meanwhile, many people were rather unhappy at circling the stadium consistently being told, no, we’re not loading here; well, those people who just got on the bus weren’t supposed to and in future you certainly can’t load here, but then as you moved up the line, buses would come by already full. Badly organized. My husband and I were tired, I was hobbling and leaning on my cane, and I likely would have passed out from the sun, prompting an ambulance call, if I hadn’t brought an umbrella with me to block any sun and rain.

If we hadn’t asked for directions to where the shuttles were, we would have gotten their faster – the directions for the shuttle (from the in uniform greeter/organizer people & the signs, both) lead one out (in the completely wrong direction) through what I think was the main gate where there were protesters with ridiculous signs and handing out literature. I saw one woman tell another don’t take that – personally, I happily took what I could and trashed it promptly – best to trash stuff that belongs in a garbage bin, then risk leaving the proselytizers with material to snare someone not prepared for twisty lies. If my feet hadn’t hurt so much, I would have stopped to talk to one or two – there was one unhappy young man shouting at no one that priests can’t forgive your sins. I wanted to walk up to him and say excuse me, haven’t you ever read the Gospel of John? It’s a good book – quite accurate – really you should read it sometime before saying such things so you won’t look so foolish. But I was worried about getting back to the bus and my feet hurt, and it may have sounded rather snarky, which isn’t helpful when you’re saying something true. I’m just disappointed I didn’t see anyone passing out pamplets from Catholic Answers or another Catholic group – those I would have kept and read. :)

Anyway, back to the mass – it was terrific, God-centered, conducive to worship, full of the Holy Spirit, and worth loosing sleep for, worth the sore feet, worth the aggrevation of trying to find a shuttle, worth the distractions of thousands of people, to join in worshiping God with the Pope, receive Jesus’s Body & Blood, receive the Pope’s blessing, and see the Pope at a far distance. It was also terrific to see cardinals walking down the streets, nuns in various habits, priests and monks aplenty, and many joyous Catholics everywhere! But most of all, it was a great grace to share that precious time with the Pope, whom God was definitely sending graces to and through, and who was clearly, warmly, full of joy to be with each of us.